Prevalence and associated factors of neonatal mortality in North Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia

Background: Childhood mortality is often used as a broad indicator of the social development and health conditions of a country. Updated information on neonatal mortality does thus influence policy, improve services and lead to better health for newborns.Objective: To assess the prevalence of neonatal mortality and associated factors in North Gondar Zone, Ethiopia.Methods: Community based cross-sectional study was carried out from November 2009 to January 2010 in North Gondar Zone. Multi-stage sampling was adopted to get respondents and data was collected using structured questionnaires from 3600 mothers who gave live birth during the year 2005 to 2009.Results: Neonatal mortality was found to be 214 out of 4888 live births with the rate of 43.8 per 1000 live births. The number of pregnancies the women, had (AOR =3.76: 95% CI, 2.73- 5.20), maternal morbidity (AOR =5.43: 95% CI, 2.90-10.17) and neonatal illness (AOR = 3.68: 95% CI, 2.41-5.62) were strongly associated with neonatal mortality. Small size neonates at birth were 2 times more likely to die compared with medium sized ones. Compared with illiterate mothers, secondary and above secondary educated mothers reduced the risk of neonatal deaths by 85% (0.04, 0.51) and 90% (0.01, 0.94), respectively.Conclusion: Neonatal mortality was very high when compared with the national data of Ethiopia. Strategies to improve female education, reducing maternal morbidity, limiting the number of pregnancies, early intervention for neonatal illness, prevention and intervention in low birth weight neonates are recommended to reduce neonatal mortality

Spin communication over 30 μ\mum long channels of chemical vapor deposited graphene on SiO2_2

We demonstrate a high-yield fabrication of non-local spin valve devices with room-temperature spin lifetimes of up to 3 ns and spin relaxation lengths as long as 9 $\mu$m in platinum-based chemical vapor deposition (Pt-CVD) synthesized single-layer graphene on SiO$_2$/Si substrates. The spin-lifetime systematically presents a marked minimum at the charge neutrality point, as typically observed in pristine exfoliated graphene. However, by studying the carrier density dependence beyond n ~ 5 x 10$^{12}$ cm$^{-2}$, via electrostatic gating, it is found that the spin lifetime reaches a maximum and then starts decreasing, a behavior that is reminiscent of that predicted when the spin-relaxation is driven by spin-orbit interaction. The spin lifetimes and relaxation lengths compare well with state-of-the-art results using exfoliated graphene on SiO$_2$/Si, being a factor two-to-three larger than the best values reported at room temperature using the same substrate. As a result, the spin signal can be readily measured across 30 $\mu$m long graphene channels. These observations indicate that Pt-CVD graphene is a promising material for large-scale spin-based logic-in-memory applications

Response to Soil Acidity of Common Bean Genotypes (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Under Field Conditions at Nedjo, Western Ethiopia

Soil acidity has become a serious threat to crop production in most  highlands of Ethiopia in general and in the western part of the country in particular. A field experiment was conducted to evaluate soil acidity tolerant on 25 genotypes of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) on lime treated and untreated acid soils. The genotypes were evaluated based on morpho-agronomic parameters. Soil acidity had an effect on maturity, growth and yield of the tested genotypes. High significant(P<0.01) differences were observed among genotypes for days to maturity, leaf area index, plant height, number of pods per plant, pod length, hundred seed weight, grain yield, pod harvest index and harvest index in lime treated and untreated soils. Considerable variability exists among the genotypes tested based on the growth, and yield components measured for soil acidity tolerance. The genotypes gave higher yield and yield components when grown in lime treated soil than lime untreated with average yield reduction of 26% due to soil acidity effect. Relative grain yield was calculated as the ratio of grain yield in lime untreated to lime treated soil also showed higher significant differences among the tested genotypes. Genotypes such as Dimtu, new BILFA 58, Beshbesh, SER176, new BILFA51 and new BILFA 61 gave higher absolute and relative yield, whereas Dinknesh, Chore, Nasser and new BILFA 60 gave lower absolute grain and relative yield. Moreover, the great variability of 25 commonbean genotypes exhibited a good potential to screening large germplasm of common bean for soil acidity tolerance and develop a cultivar that are tolerant to soil acidity in the country. Keywords: Common bean, Genotypes, Lime, Soil acidity, Relative yiel

Market Access, Intensification and Productivity of Common Bean in Ethopia: A microeconomic analysis

This work analyses on-farm adjustments in land allocation and intensification in a commercial crop following the increases in market demand in a developing economy. Drawing from the survey conducted among common bean producers in Ethiopia in 2008, a two stage econometric method was used to investigate the contribution of market access and other micro-level factors in facilitating crop intensification and productivity. Ethiopia is the leading commercial producer and exporter of common bean in Africa but also one of the countries in Africa with high levels of soil nutrient depletion. Understanding factors that influence input use and productivity is critical for food security and agricultural sustainability in the country. Based on farm survey data, it was shown that most farmers had expanded their area under common bean but the use of fertilizer and improved varieties was still low. Increase in the intensity of fertilizer and seed use produces an increase in yield and so is market access. Market access has intensification as well as specialization effects on common bean yield. Access to credit, extension and household wealth are other factors that facilitate common bean intensification while risk increasing factors constrain it

A systems and partnership approach to agricultural research for development: Lessons from Ethiopia

In spite of the availability of several improved agricultural technologies generated by the research system in Ethiopia over the last four decades, adoption of these innovations by smallholder farmers has been very low. This has led to stagnation of agricultural productivity and low crop yields, exposing the country to recurrent food shortfalls and national food insecurity. The old approach to agricultural research emphasized developing new technologies mainly through onstation research that were then supposed to reach farmers through the public-sector extension system. The Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) has in recent years introduced a shift in agricultural research for development, which is based on the innovation systems approach that involved cultivating partnerships with several actors along the value chain, especially farmers, farmers’ cooperatives and input suppliers. This paper presents the methodology used to facilitate agricultural innovations and the diffusion of new technologies and illustrates the outcomes of this initiative with regard to technology adoption, productivity growth and the market orientation of production. The authors use examples from experiences in scaling up three grain legumes. Compared to the three-year baseline average (2003–05), crop output increased nationally by 89%, 85% and 97% in 2008 for common bean, chickpea and lentil respectively. Nationally, 53–59% of the output growth is attributable to yield growth due to technological change, while the balance is due to area expansion. These results affirm that the new approach has led to accelerated adoption of new and high-yielding or low-risk varieties

Investigating the impact of poverty on colonization and infection with drug-resistant organisms in humans: a systematic review

Background Poverty increases the risk of contracting infectious diseases and therefore exposure to antibiotics. Yet there is lacking evidence on the relationship between income and non-income dimensions of poverty and antimicrobial resistance. Investigating such relationship would strengthen antimicrobial stewardship interventions. Methods A systematic review was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed, Ovid, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, CINAHL, PsychINFO, EBSCO, HMIC, and Web of Science databases were searched in October 2016. Prospective and retrospective studies reporting on income or non-income dimensions of poverty and their influence on colonisation or infection with antimicrobial-resistant organisms were retrieved. Study quality was assessed with the Integrated quality criteria for review of multiple study designs (ICROMS) tool. Results Nineteen articles were reviewed. Crowding and homelessness were associated with antimicrobial resistance in community and hospital patients. In high-income countries, low income was associated with Streptococcus pneumoniae and Acinetobacter baumannii resistance and a seven-fold higher infection rate. In low-income countries the findings on this relation were contradictory. Lack of education was linked to resistant S. pneumoniae and Escherichia coli. Two papers explored the relation between water and sanitation and antimicrobial resistance in low-income settings. Conclusions Despite methodological limitations, the results suggest that addressing social determinants of poverty worldwide remains a crucial yet neglected step towards preventing antimicrobial resistance

Importance of Ethnicity, CYP2B6 and ABCB1 Genotype for Efavirenz Pharmacokinetics and Treatment Outcomes: A Parallel-group Prospective Cohort Study in two sub-Saharan Africa Populations.

We evaluated the importance of ethnicity and pharmacogenetic variations in determining efavirenz pharmacokinetics, auto-induction and immunological outcomes in two African populations. ART naïve HIV patients from Ethiopia (n = 285) and Tanzania (n = 209) were prospectively enrolled in parallel to start efavirenz based HAART. CD4+ cell counts were determined at baseline, 12, 24 and 48 weeks. Plasma and intracellular efavirenz and 8-hydroxyefvairenz concentrations were determined at week 4 and 16. Genotyping for common functional CYP2B6, CYP3A5, ABCB1, UGT2B7 and SLCO1B1 variant alleles were done. Patient country, CYP2B6*6 and ABCB1 c.4036A>G (rs3842A>G) genotype were significant predictors of plasma and intracellular efavirenz concentration. CYP2B6*6 and ABCB1 c.4036A>G (rs3842) genotype were significantly associated with higher plasma efavirenz concentration and their allele frequencies were significantly higher in Tanzanians than Ethiopians. Tanzanians displayed significantly higher efavirenz plasma concentration at week 4 (p<0.0002) and week 16 (p = 0.006) compared to Ethiopians. Efavirenz plasma concentrations remained significantly higher in Tanzanians even after controlling for the effect of CYP2B6*6 and ABCB1 c.4036A>G genotype. Within country analyses indicated a significant decrease in the mean plasma efavirenz concentration by week 16 compared to week 4 in Tanzanians (p = 0.006), whereas no significant differences in plasma concentration over time was observed in Ethiopians (p = 0.84). Intracellular efavirenz concentration and patient country were significant predictors of CD4 gain during HAART. We report substantial differences in efavirenz pharmacokinetics, extent of auto-induction and immunologic recovery between Ethiopian and Tanzanian HIV patients, partly but not solely, due to pharmacogenetic variations. The observed inter-ethnic variations in efavirenz plasma exposure may possibly result in varying clinical treatment outcome or adverse event profiles between populations

Rapid production of large-area, transparent and stretchable electrodes using metal nanofibers as wirelessly operated wearable heaters

A rapidly growing interest in wearable electronics has led to the development of stretchable and transparent heating films that can replace the conventional brittle and opaque heaters. Herein, we describe the rapid production of large-area, stretchable and transparent electrodes using electrospun ultra-long metal nanofibers (mNFs) and demonstrate their potential use as wirelessly operated wearable heaters. These mNF networks provide excellent optoelectronic properties (sheet resistance of similar to 1.3 O per sq with an optical transmittance of similar to 90%) and mechanical reliability (90% stretchability). The optoelectronic properties can be controlled by adjusting the area fraction of the mNF networks, which also enables the modulation of the power consumption of the heater. For example, the low sheet resistance of the heater presents an outstanding power efficiency of 0.65 W cm(-2) (with the temperature reaching 250 degrees C at a low DC voltage of 4.5 V), which is similar to 10 times better than the properties of conventional indium tin oxide-based heaters. Furthermore, we demonstrate the wireless fine control of the temperature of the heating film using Bluetooth smart devices, which suggests substantial promise for the application of this heating film in next-generation wearable electronics